1 Facta est autem in illa die persecutio magna in ecclesia quæ erat Jerosolymis, et omnes dispersi sunt per regiones Judææ et Samariæ præter Apostolos. 2 Curaverunt autem Stephanum viri timorati, et fecerunt planctum magnum super eum. 3 Saulus autem devastabat ecclesiam per domos intrans, et trahens viros ac mulieres, tradebat in custodiam. 4 Igitur qui dispersi erant pertransibant, evangelizantes verbum Dei. 5 Philippus autem descendens in civitatem Samariæ, prædicabant illis Christum. 6 Intendebant autem turbæ his quæ a Philippo dicebantur, unanimiter audientes, et videntes signa quæ faciebat. 7 Multi enim eorum qui habebant spiritus immundos, clamantes voce magna exibant. Multi autem paralytici et claudi curati sunt. 8 Factum est ergo gaudium magnum in illa civitate. 9 Vir autem quidam nomine Simon, qui ante fuerat in civitate magus, seducens gentem Samariæ, dicens se esse aliquem magnum: 10 cui auscultabant omnes a minimo usque ad maximum, dicentes: Hic est virtus Dei, quæ vocatur magna. 11 Attendebant autem eum: propter quod multo tempore magiis suis dementasset eos. 12 Cum vero credidissent Philippo evangelizanti de regno Dei, in nomine Jesu Christi baptizabantur viri ac mulieres. 13 Tunc Simon et ipse credidit: et cum baptizatus esset, adhærebat Philippo. Videns etiam signa et virtutes maximas fieri, stupens admirabatur. 14 Cum autem audissent Apostoli qui erant Jerosolymis, quod recepisset Samaria verbum Dei, miserunt ad eos Petrum et Joannem. 15 Qui cum venissent, oraverunt pro ipsis ut acciperent Spiritum Sanctum: 16 nondum enim in quemquam illorum venerat, sed baptizati tantum erant in nomine Domini Jesu. 17 Tunc imponebant manus super illos, et accipiebant Spiritum Sanctum. 18 Cum vidisset autem Simon quia per impositionem manus Apostolorum daretur Spiritus Sanctus, obtulit eis pecuniam, 19 dicens: Date et mihi hanc potestatem, ut cuicumque imposuero manus, accipiat Spiritum Sanctum. Petrus autem dixit ad eum: 20 Pecunia tua tecum sit in perditionem: quoniam donum Dei existimasti pecunia possideri. 21 Non est tibi pars neque sors in sermone isto: cor enim tuum non est rectum coram Deo. 22 Pœnitentiam itaque age ab hac nequitia tua: et roga Deum, si forte remittatur tibi hæc cogitatio cordis tui. 23 In felle enim amaritudinis, et obligatione iniquitatis, video te esse. 24 Respondens autem Simon, dixit: Precamini vos pro me ad Dominum, ut nihil veniat super me horum quæ dixistis. 25 Et illi quidem testificati, et locuti verbum Domini, redibant Jerosolymam, et multis regionibus Samaritanorum evangelizabant. 26 Angelus autem Domini locutus est ad Philippum, dicens: Surge, et vade contra meridianum, ad viam quæ descendit ab Jerusalem in Gazam: hæc est deserta. 27 Et surgens abiit. Et ecce vir Æthiops, eunuchus, potens Candacis reginæ Æthiopum, qui erat super omnes gazas ejus, venerat adorare in Jerusalem: 28 et revertebatur sedens super currum suum, legensque Isaiam prophetam. 29 Dixit autem Spiritus Philippo: Accede, et adjunge te ad currum istum. 30 Accurrens autem Philippus, audivit eum legentem Isaiam prophetam, et dixit: Putasne intelligis quæ legis? 31 Qui ait: Et quomodo possum, si non aliquis ostenderit mihi? Rogavitque Philippum ut ascenderet, et sederet secum. 32 Locus autem Scripturæ quem legebat, erat hic: [Tamquam ovis ad occisionem ductus est: et sicut agnus coram tondente se, sine voce, sic non aperuit os suum. 33 In humilitate judicium ejus sublatum est. Generationem ejus quis enarrabit? quoniam tolletur de terra vita ejus.] 34 Respondens autem eunuchus Philippo, dixit: Obsecro te, de quo propheta dicit hoc? de se, an de alio aliquo? 35 Aperiens autem Philippus os suum, et incipiens a Scriptura ista, evangelizavit illi Jesum. 36◆ Et dum irent per viam, venerunt ad quamdam aquam: et ait eunuchus: Ecce aqua: quid prohibet me baptizari? 37◆ Dixit autem Philippus: Si credis ex toto corde, licet. Et respondens ait: Credo Filium Dei esse Jesum Christum. 38◆ Et jussit stare currum: et descenderunt uterque in aquam, Philippus et eunuchus, et baptizavit eum. 39 Cum autem ascendissent de aqua, Spiritus Domini rapuit Philippum, et amplius non vidit eum eunuchus. Ibat autem per viam suam gaudens. 40 Philippus autem inventus est in Azoto, et pertransiens evangelizabat civitatibus cunctis, donec veniret Cæsaream.
Acts 8 Clementine Vulgate
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Philip
One of the seven chosen at Jerusalem; he preached in Samaria, baptized the Ethiopian official, and later hosted Paul at Caesarea with his four prophesying daughters.
Cited in the guide: Acts 6:5; Acts 8:5; Acts 8:38
Simon
A sorcerer in Samaria who believed and was baptized, then tried to buy the power to give the Holy Spirit and was rebuked by Peter.
Cited in the guide: Acts 8:9; Acts 8:13; Acts 8:18
Stephen
One of the seven chosen to serve tables, full of faith and the Holy Spirit; he was stoned after his speech to the Sanhedrin and became the first martyr.
Cited in the guide: Acts 6:5; Acts 7:59; Acts 8:2
Cross references (39)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Daniel 3:16–18; Acts 22:20; Acts 5:40; Acts 1:8; Acts 7:58
- 2 Genesis 50:10–11; Jeremiah 22:18; Genesis 23:2; 2 Chronicles 35:25; 2 Chronicles 32:33
- 3 1 Timothy 1:13; Philippians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13; Acts 9:21
- 4 Matthew 10:23; Acts 11:19; Acts 8:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:2; Acts 15:35
- 5 Acts 6:5; Acts 21:8; Acts 8:40; Acts 8:35–36; Acts 5:42
- 6 John 4:41–42; Matthew 20:15–16; Acts 13:44; 2 Chronicles 30:12
- 7 Matthew 10:1; Acts 14:8–10; Mark 16:17–18; Acts 5:16; Hebrews 2:4
- 8 Acts 13:52; Psalm 96:10–12; Acts 13:48; Luke 2:10–11; Romans 15:9–12
- 9 Acts 13:6; John 7:18; Acts 5:36; Exodus 8:18–19; Acts 19:18–20
- 10 2 Peter 2:2; Revelation 13:3; Jeremiah 31:34; Jeremiah 8:10; Jonah 3:5
- 11 Acts 8:9; Galatians 3:1; Isaiah 8:19; Isaiah 47:9–13; Isaiah 44:25
- 12 Acts 2:38; Acts 1:3; Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41; 1 Peter 3:21
- 13 Acts 19:11; Acts 8:6–7; John 5:20; John 8:30–31; Mark 16:17
- 14 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 3:2; Acts 8:1; Galatians 2:9; Acts 2:41
- 15 Acts 2:38; John 16:23–24; Matthew 18:19; John 14:13–14; Philippians 1:19
- 16 Acts 2:38; Acts 19:2; Matthew 28:19; Acts 19:5–6; Acts 11:15–17
- 17 Acts 19:6; Acts 6:6; 2 Timothy 1:6; Acts 8:18; Acts 2:4
- 18 1 Timothy 6:5; Matthew 10:8; 2 Kings 8:9; Ezekiel 13:19; 2 Kings 5:15–16
- 19 Luke 14:7–11; Matthew 18:1–3; 3 John 9; John 5:44; Acts 8:17
- 20 Daniel 5:17; Acts 2:38; Matthew 10:8; Revelation 18:15; 2 Peter 2:14–17
- 21 Hebrews 4:13; Matthew 6:22–24; Psalm 36:1; John 21:17; Revelation 22:19
- 22 2 Timothy 2:25–26; Daniel 4:27; Hebrews 4:12; Acts 9:11; Luke 11:9–13
- 23 Isaiah 58:6; Proverbs 5:22; John 8:34; Hebrews 12:15; Titus 3:3
- 24 Exodus 8:8; Numbers 21:7; Job 42:8; Genesis 20:7; James 5:16
- 25 Acts 20:21; Acts 28:23; 1 Peter 5:12; Acts 28:28; Acts 8:40
- 26 2 Kings 1:3; Acts 5:19; Hebrews 1:14; Acts 27:23; Acts 12:23
- 27 Zephaniah 3:10; Psalm 68:31; Isaiah 56:3–8; Jeremiah 38:7; Psalm 87:4
- 28 Colossians 3:16; Isaiah 1:1; Acts 28:25; Proverbs 2:1–6; 2 Timothy 3:15–17
- 29 Acts 10:19; Acts 11:12; Acts 13:2–4; Acts 20:22–23; Acts 16:6–7
- 30 Luke 24:44–45; John 5:39; Ephesians 5:17; Matthew 15:10; Matthew 13:23
- 31 Romans 10:14; Isaiah 29:18–19; Psalm 73:16–17; Proverbs 30:2–3; Psalm 25:8–9
- 32 Isaiah 53:7–8; 1 Peter 2:21–24; Jeremiah 51:40; Jeremiah 11:19; Romans 8:36
- 33 Isaiah 53:12; Isaiah 53:8; Philippians 2:8–9; Zechariah 13:7; Isaiah 53:10
- 34 Matthew 15:15; Matthew 13:36; Matthew 2:2–4
- 35 Luke 24:27; Acts 18:28; 1 Corinthians 2:2; Acts 28:23; Matthew 5:2
- 36 Acts 10:47; John 3:5; John 3:23; Titus 3:5–6; 1 John 5:6
- 38 John 4:1; John 3:22–23
- 39 1 Kings 18:12; 2 Kings 2:16; Ezekiel 8:3; Ezekiel 43:5; Ezekiel 11:1
- 40 Acts 21:8; Acts 23:33; Acts 25:4; Acts 10:1; Acts 23:23
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
Why does my Bible say something different?
- Acts 8:37: the eunuch’s confession of faith
In some Bibles, before Philip baptizes the Ethiopian, he says, “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest,” and the eunuch answers, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” This verse is missing from the oldest Greek manuscripts and from most Byzantine ones, but it was known to St Irenaeus in the second century. It appears to be an early baptismal confession added to the story.
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
It seems to me, this (Philip) was one of the seven; for from Jerusalem he would not have gone southwards, but to the north; but from Samaria it was "towards the south. The same is desert:" so that there is no fear of an attack from the Jews. And he did not ask, Wherefore? but "arose and went.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had driven them mad by his sorceries." This Simon, then--who feigned faith, supposing that the apostles themselves performed their cures by the art of magic, and not by the power of God; and with respect to their filling with the Holy Ghost, through the imposition of hands, those …
… when we hear, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;" we do not of course understand it of one who believes in such a way "as the devils believe and tremble;" nor of those who receive baptism in such sort as Simon Magus, who though he could be baptized, could not be saved.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
For indeed this is his great power. This power caused Christ to die, that He might put an end to it.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
The inventor of all heresy was Simon Magus: that Simon, who in the Acts of the Apostles thought to purchase with money the unsaleable grace of the Spirit, and heard the words, Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, and the rest: concerning whom also it is written, They went out from us, but they were not …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)